Method for packaging straight articles



y 1936- I s. MARDIGIAN Er AL 2,040,493

METHOD FOR PACKAGING STRAIGHT ARTICLES Filed May 21, 1934 lnuenfars:

64 M054 MHED/GMN and /'7/CHELE E/ZZOLL/q.

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES METHOD FOR PACKAGING STRAIGHT ARTICLES Samuel Mardigian and Michele Rizzolla, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The American Steel and Wire Company oi New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,828

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of straight flexible articles, such as bale ties, one of the objects being to provide an apparatus and method for manually producing tight packages of such articles without requiring excessive physical strength. Other objects may be inferred.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top view of a bench for holding the flexible articles.

Figures 2 and 3 are side and end views of this bench.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the method of packaging such articles.

.Figures 6 and 7 are side and end views of a detail of the bench.

The drawing shows a bench for holding the straight flexible articles while packaging the same. This bench may consist of a framework of pipes I which includes supports 2 that are constructed and arranged to hold a group of the articles flexed into curved form.

In the case of the bench illustrated by the drawing there are a series of the supports, each constructed to gravitationally hold a group of articles. The two end supports are arranged at similar heights while those between are arranged at progressively lower positions toward the center of the bench. That is to say, the two central supports are the lowest while the supports be- 30 tween these central ones and the end ones are arranged at heights half-way between the others.

As previously mentioned, the articles to be packaged may well be bale ties, and these usually have looped ends. With this in mind, at least one 3 of the end ones of the supports 2 is constructed to fit about a group of the ties in front of their looped ends sufficiently closely to hold the group against longitudinal pull on the same. The drawing shows all the supports as consisting of arms 40 having hooked ends, one of which has its extreme end curved sufliciently sharply, as at 2*, to closely encompass a group of bale ties for the purpose just described.

The new method of packaging articles, such as 45 bale ties, includes arranging such articles in a curved group 3, applying a tie wire 4 to this group in a series of half-hitches 4 with interconnecting portions 4" extending straight from one of these half-hitches to another on the inner curved side of the group 3.

When this is done the group is straightened so that the interconnecting portions 4 of the tie wire 4 tauten and pull the half-hitches l tightly around the group. It is apparent that the half- 5 hitches can be made to encircle the group of bale ties very tightly with the expenditure of little eiiort on the part of the packager. The half-hitch is such a familiar knot that it is not necessary to specifically describe its formation.

Referring more specifically to the above, the tie wire 4 may be first anchored to one end of the group 3 by wrapping it very tightly about this end, as at 4 or in any other suitable manner. The tie wire 4 is then led away under tension from this anchored portion 4 and along the inner curved side of the group. While doing this it is successively formed into half-hitches around the group at spaced positions until the opposite end of this group is reached. The tie wire is then anchored to this opposite end in any; suitable manner, as by wrapping it around the same in the manner illustrated at W. Then the group 3 is straightened so as to tauten the portions 4 of the tie wire between the half-hitches 4 so as to thereby pull the latter tightly around the group.

It is to be understood that the ends of the bale t.es constituting the group 3 are usually covered with burlap or other flexible material so as to prevent their being damaged. This is not illustrated in detail because it is conventional practice, it being apparent that the application of such protection will not prevent the tie wire from being A anchored at the ends of the group.

The application of the bench described in the foregoing part of this specification to the above method is apparent. Although this bench cannot be used except in connection with the method disclosed, it is obvious that it is not absolutely required in the practicing of the method alone.

Although specific examples of the invention are disclosed in accordance with the patent statutes, it is not intended that its scope be limited exactly thereto, except as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A method of packaging straight flexible articles, including arranging such articles in a curved group, applying a. tie wire to this curved group in a series of half-hitches with interconnecting portions extending straight from one half-hitch to another on the inner curved side of the group, and then straightening the group so that the interconnecting portions of the tie wire tauten and pull the half-hitches tightly around the group.

2. A method of packaging bale ties, including arranging the bale ties in a curved group with their ends practically flush, anchoringpa tie wire to one end of this group, leading the tie wire away under tension from its anchored portion along the inner curved side of the group and successively forming half-hitches around the latter at spaced positions until the opposite end of the group is reached, anchoring the tie wire at this opposite end, and then straightening the group so as to tauten the portions of the tie wire between the half-hitches and thereby pulling the latter tightly around the group.

SAMUEL MARDIGIAN. MICHELE RIZZOLLA. 

